Tax cuts designed to make Ohio more competitive economically are driving a very conservative spending plan currently under construction in our state legislature

State officials have been busy preparing a two-year budget plan for months. This work is currently centered in the Ohio Senate. In March, Governor Ted Strickland recommended a remarkable budget plan. As an incoming Governor switching the executive branch to the opposite party, his plan would "stay the course" of major tax reforms initiated about two years ago by the previous governor, and then played another "trump card" by recommending even leaner spending than the previous governor's "lowest growth budget in 40 years." 

While this approach appealed to majority members in both the Ohio House and Senate, it would normally have drawn fire from the minority party members. But, because the new governor is in  the "honeymoon" stage, and is of the same party as the minority legislative members, "support our new governor" became the stronger dynamic, producing a rare 97-0 approval of the House version on May 1, 2007.

Currently the Ohio Senate is constructing revisions to the House-passed version.  This process is scheduled to conclude with a committee recommendation on Tuesday, June 12 and full Senate action on Wednesday, June 13, followed by a couple of long weeks in conference committee to iron out a final budget version. The new budget needs to be in place by July 1, 2007 to be on time.